Adding Tolls to Brooklyn Bridges?
Marty Markowitz was just on the Brian Lehrer show arguing against the Ravitch Commission’s proposal to add tolls to the three bridges in Brooklyn as well as the Queensboro Bridge as part of its solution to the MTA deficits. (Rosie Perez just called in agreeing with Marty too.) Are you in favor of adding the…
Marty Markowitz was just on the Brian Lehrer show arguing against the Ravitch Commission’s proposal to add tolls to the three bridges in Brooklyn as well as the Queensboro Bridge as part of its solution to the MTA deficits. (Rosie Perez just called in agreeing with Marty too.) Are you in favor of adding the tolls?
I don’t see how having a child automatically means having to buy a car. You can take a car service or taxi every day of the week and it’s still cheaper than owning a car. More convenient too, when you think about having to park a car at all your destinations. That alone can take 30-45 minutes. Owning a car is a choice and sure you get to have that choice, and perhaps someday we’d get one I dunno, but come on, it is not a necessity here. Unless it’s used for hauling things for your job.
I was HUGELY supportive of the Congestion pricing plan Bloomburg tried to push through which involved zones and times of day. Still regret he couldn’t get it passed.
But I am not in favor of tolling the “borough” bridges. The reason is more philosophical than practical. While I do think subway travel and carpooling should be promoted and taken whenever possible, something about the idea of tolling those particular bridges feels patently divisive and unfair to me.
People who live in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx are just as much New Yorkers as people living in Manhattan. It feels like taxing folks in other boroughs just to get around their own city in the way they choose. I don’t know. Just seems to further push out and away rather than draw together.
And I agree with Hal in a big way (from some post much earlier where he proposed differences in tolls). Would be nearly impossible to implement I suspect.
Will we need to pay a toll to WALK over the bridges too?
Just ridiculous that they would want to make the outer boroughs pay for the stupid Second Avenue Subway that will only make live easier for rich UES dwellers.
When the E. River toll idea was floated before, it did NOT include toll plazas. Tolls would be assessed via EZ pass or license plate pictures, a la London’s congestion pricing. Toll plazas aren’t physically possible on the E. River bridges.
my boss rides (in a big car) everyday to soho from riverdale and my bookkeeper drives from jersey sometimes and sometimes from washington heights. from washington heights i think is absurd she is always calling in late saying she is stuck on the west side highway :-/.
*rob*
Oops, re-write – I cut and pasted the wrong quote.
“I love how New Yorkers have all these diabolical plans on how to tax their fellow New Yorkers.”
I think to pay the operating costs of this site, Mr. B should impose a posting tax and charge us for every comment made!! Wait a minute…bad idea…
CMU: people who just go into manhattan may stay in their car if they can afford it, those driving for business (delivery, etc) and commuting to jersey will continue to drive. i cant envision a material % of people going to mass transit, they’ll just get stuck in toll-lines as currently do on gw/lincoln/holland. in a stand-still, idling, belching out fumes.
and as i said, if your hope that everyone gives up the car and goes to mass-transit, then your toll-hike solution fails to solve mta woes, and now you have overwhelmed subways.
Who in any profession drives into Manhattan for work?? I waited tables and bartended for 8 years, and I took taxis home almost every night.
Taxis, people. Look around – half the cars in Manhattan are taxis.
“New Yorkers are just nuts on the issue of cars and transportation. In this town, you better already be where you want to go.”
I think to pay the operating costs of this site, Mr. B should impose a posting tax and charge us for every comment made!! Wait a minute…bad idea…